Glen Romaine Roberson

Glen Romaine Roberson died August 25, 2019.  He was born to Forrest and Mary Roberson in August 1946.  Mary and Forrest raised their only child in Hartley and Dalhart, Texas, where Glen ran free on the farm until first grade.  Mary received a Master’s of Education while his father obtained an eighth grade education having been abandoned at the age of twelve.  Forrest succeeded as a farmer and rancher by the 1940s, leading him towards the path of becoming a loyal Roosevelt Democrat.  The Dalhart community loved Mary, Forrest and Glen.

Glen drove a tractor from the ages of eight to seventeen every summer.  He pledged to move his life away from the farm in spite of being told by a school counselor that he should be thankful he had the farm because he wouldn’t have other adult prospects.

Glen left Dalhart at age seventeen on a football scholarship to play at Northwestern.  Taking a break from football and college, he worked on a shrimp boat in New Orleans, LA.  Eventually, Glen made his way back to college and completed his bachelor’s degree.  In 1976, he obtained a Ph.D. in history at Oklahoma State University where he met his first wife, Courtney Vaughn.  Soon after publishing their co-authored book, they birthed two children, Misha Vaughn-Roberson Welchel and Clayton Vaughn-Roberson.  Glen became a proud grandfather when Misha gave birth to her daughter Lucy Ann in October 2012.  Misha grew her family in 2017 when she married Greg Welchel, and added two lovely children to the family, Olivia and Graham.  Clayton followed in Glen and Courtney’s footsteps by completing his doctorate in history at Carnegie Mellon University in May 2019.

Throughout his life, Glen served as a professor of history, a commodities broker, a community activist, and a church leader.  He retired in 2016 after sixteen years working for the Historic Preservation Center at the Oklahoma History Center.  In retirement, Glen served on committees at his beloved St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church as well as the Norman Historic Preservation Commission.  Service was Glen’s calling.

After a long time friendship, Glen married Fran Watson Roberson, the love of his life.  She provided him with warmth and support, without which, he would never have lived this long.  The union also brought Glen, Misha, Clayton, Lucy Ann, into Fran’s wonderful family.  Her daughter Amanda and son Travis loved Glen dearly.  Their spouses’ Casey and Dara were equally special to Glen.  He also gained additional grandchildren, Mason, Emma, Addison, Hadley, Kamryn and Logan, as well as his dear sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Carl Simpson and their family.

His friends include too many to name.  He has been dear to Denilyn and Jack Jordan, Lesli Johnson and Larry Guy (deceased), Mary and Andy Peters, and Roger and Cheryl Frech.  Each of these individuals has become family to Glen over the years.

Glen invites all who would come to his self-created service at 10:00 am on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Norman.  Reverend Jeannie Himes will lead the service.

Memorial gifts may be sent to St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, and if you so choose, may be designated to the church’s work on immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexican border.